Island Storytelling – Salat se Rotuma – Passage to Rotuma

I was born in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and my family moved to Barbados when I was about 4 years old. From an early age, I loved the nature and exploring, and became an aspiring environmental activist, when such a thing was quite unheard of in Barbados! After I completed my Cambridge A-Level studies at Queen’s College, I became an exchange student with the organization American Field Service (AFS) and moved to Denmark. I have to say that being as exchange student was one of the best decisions I made in my life! I gained lifelong friends, learned a new language, and came to appreciate an entirely different culture. I also became more resilient and adaptable, and learned to truly appreciate the fact that, despite the perceived barriers of culture and language, people all over the world share the same desire to connect at an authentic level, and forge meaningful relationships.

In Denmark I indulged my interest in Scandinavian mythology, studying Nordic literature at The University of Odense, before returning to Barbados to complete an undergraduate degree in Literatures in English at the University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus. Here, I also completed an undergraduate degree in Law.

in my capacity as an educational consultant, I possess over two decades of experience in teaching students with learning disabilities such as dyslexia, auditory processing disorder, Asperger’s syndrome, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, as well as emotional/physiological challenges such as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I strive to be an effective advocate for children, and those who are more marginalised in the both educationally and societally.

My passion for the environment has led to two other significant career achievements: I am currently contracted with the University of Strathclyde Centre for Environmental Law and Governance as an educational consultant with the Ocean Explorers Programme, and I am also an Environmental Education Expert with Omnis Education. Recently, I was appointed as Technical Secretary of the Bureau of Standards Jamaica Correctional Services Technical Committee.

I am the mother of an amazing son, CJ, who makes my life a wonderful adventure, and I live with my family and my five awesome cats, Lovington, Leo, Luna, Luscious and Moxie.

I love writing,and I have written articles on climate change and social issues for a number of publications, including Global Voices and The Elephant Journal. My hobbies include surfing, weight training, running, reading, writing, equestrian sports, and hiking.

Ngaire has been in the television industry for over 30 years and has a wealth of experience in production. Starting in the Maori & Pacific Programmes Department at TVNZ in the late ‘80s working with the late Ernie Leonard and Whai Ngata she worked on productions from 1988 Telethon, 1990 Commonwealth Games right through to presenting on shows like Tagata Pasifika, Town and Country, NZ Living and going on to production work with Tagata Pasifika.

While working at TVNZ’s, Maori & Pacific Programmes, Ngaire started her musical career and had some success as a recording artist. She released her debut album “Ngaire” in 1991 and is best known for her 1990 remake of the Lulu classic “To Sir with Love” which stayed at No 1 for 5 weeks on the National Charts.
After many years behind the camera, Ngaire was again in the spotlight when the camera followed her on her maiden voyage to Rotuma in the Tagata Pasifika documentary “Salat Se Rotuma” a moving story about cultural identity, a professional and personal highlight so far in her career.

Ngaire teamed up with NZ Samoan writer and director Jeremiah Tauamiti in 2016 to make the Samoan short film “Liliu” that premiered at the 2019 Berlinale NATIVe and went on to win Best Short film at the Wairoa Film Festival, Berlin Down Under and the Hawaii International Film Festival. Of Dutch and Rotuman (Fiji Islands) descent and she’s passionate about telling Pacific stories through the Pacific lens. Ngaire is currently in development producing her first feature film “Mysterious Ways”. Ngaire is a Company Director of SunPix Ltd Producers of the long running Pacific television show “Tagata Pasifika” and SunPix Post.